1939 Mercury Custom

1939 MERCURY CONVERTIBLE CUSTOM STREET ROD for sale. Motorcar Classics is proud to present this awesome 1939 Mercury Convertible Custom Street Rod featured in Red Jewel with Tan leather interior and matching Tan canvas convertible top. This car represents the culmination of a ten-year build that was meticulously done by a team of experienced craftsmen. The build is completely documented and the finished car is turnkey and ready for you to drive and show with pride. 

The 1939 Mercury convertible on which the project is based was purchased from Thomas Ketchum in Altamont, New York in 1989 as a true Barn Find. The buyer, an experienced street rodder, then commissioned California Customs of Pensacola, Florida to design and build a custom Street Rod. 

The car was delivered to Pensacola in the fall of 2000 for the start of the project. California customs  took the car completely apart, and began the project by designing and fabricating and entirely new frame. The floors were removed and replaced with new steel; the top was chopped approximately 1 1/2 and the A-pillars were raked to accommodate the chop. The body was lengthened 4 , and' the hood was pancaked and stretched to match the fenders. New running boards were fabricated and installed. All fender and running board seams were welded and smoothed. Flares were added to all the fenders. The trunk was raised to make room for the rear license plate. Custom tail and headlights were fabricated. The firewall was recessed to accommodate the 5.3L Chevy fuel injected engine and 4L60 Transmission. New suspension was installed on the frame along with a Chevy S-10 Rear End and Parallel leaf springs. The frame was then painted and the body was reinstalled. The front doors had hidden hinges installed with new hinge pockets.

The interior design included a complete custom dash with a console using Dakota gauges, custom chrome trim, a hidden tach in the console compartment and a computer diagnostic plug in the console. The overall curve of the dash design continues into the doors. The car was then prepped and painted. 

The owner collected the car in May of 2005 and returned to his NY home. After the return of the car, he wired it, installed components such as the windshield wipers, electric door openers, gauges, vintage AC and heat unit, hood and trunk releases. The car has a remote door switch located under the left front fender for an emergency. Also there is a power shut off switch under the right hand side of the car on the frame. The convertible top was installed in his shop by Mark Last of Lee Center, NY. American Racing Wheels were installed with 265/40ZR/18 tires on the rear and 225/45/ZR17 on the front. 

In the fall of 2007, the car was transported to Portage Trim in southern Ohio for a complete custom interior. New Cadillac front seats were purchased and installed, a custom rear seat was designed and built. Custom door panels with chrome accents were added, carpeting and custom floor mats were installed and the trunk was designed to match the interior. The beige interior was designed to complement the exterior color of the car. Pin striping was added to the car featuring the Mercury Logo.

Since the completion of the project, the car has been shown at various shows around New York State and in 2012 it was nominated for the Gene Winfield Top 12 pick at the Syracuse National Meet. Every aspect of the almost ten-year build was photographically documented. We can provide interested parties with a link to a Dropbox folder with approximately 800 photos that start with the the disassembly of the donor car and end with beautiful photos of the completed car. The folder includes sub-folders by period, and if you take the time to examine these photos from beginning to end, you will be rewarded with an understanding and true appreciation of the scope of a project like this and the meticulous craftsmanship that goes into building a custom of this caliber. In addition to the photos, the car includes a binder with manuals for all of the quality components that went into the build, along with another file containing all the build receipts. The car could not be duplicated for the price we are asking and the new owner will have a street or show ready car with every amenity working properly that is a delight on the road.

Here is a summary of the specifications:
Body Style- 1939 Mercury Convertible
Body manufacturer- Ford
Body Modifications:
1 1/2" chop with slanted windshield posts 
Fully functional folding top (mechanical)
Pancaked hood extended 6"
Front fenders extended 6"
All fenders have been flared
Flush mounted front parking lights & tail lights
Custom grill by Alumicraft
Shaved door handles
Front, rear fenders & running boards are molded to the body
Raised Rear Pan to accommodate the license plate
Shortened deck lid to accommodate the rear pan modification
Custom two tier 3rd Brake Light
Custom fitted Rear View Mirrors
Custom fitted SS moldings with custom pin stripping
Paint Brand- DuPont Color- Red Jewel
Painter- Shultz Autoworks, Utica, N.Y.
Striping- DeWayne Connot's DOA Flatliners
Chassis Manufacturer: Custom Built by California Customs, Pensacola, Florida
Chassis Modifications: Custom Built Boxed frame with TCI Rack & Pinion Steering.
Wheelbase was lengthened 6". Parallel rear leaf Springs and Chevy S-10 rear with 3.25 gears.
Wheel Manufacturer: American Racing Wheels
Style: Torque Thruster- Size/ Front 225/55ZR/17", Rear 255/55ZR/18"
Engine Make: GM- 5.3 liter, Sanderson Headers, 2 1/4" exhaust with Flowmaster Mufflers.
Engine Modifications: Stock GM, Custom fiberglass engine cover with hidden coil packs
Transmission: GM 4L60E, Stock

Interior Modifications: 
Custom molded fiberglass dash & console with a glove box. The glove box also houses a hidden tachometer and the computer diagnostic plug for the computer. 
Custom Chrome dash bezel fitted with Dakota Digital gauges, a custom fitted Clock, AM/FM radio & hidden antenna.
Vintage AC & Heat.
Jensen stereo w/CD changer.
Tinted glass, electric windows, & electric wipers.
Flaming River column, Vintage Steering Wheel with a custom horn Button.
A custom leather Interior designed by Portage Trim was installed along with a custom convertible top boot.